Paper covered casket



y 1933- B. E. WHITE 2,118,717

PAPER COVERED CASKET Original Filed Nov. 5, 1934 ATTORNEYS Patented May 24, 1938 U NI TED STA T E-S PATENT OFFICE PAPER COVERED CASKET Byron E. White, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignor to Globe Casket Manufacturing 00., Kalamazoo,

Mich.

OriginalapplicationNovember 5, 1934, Serial No.

751,520. Divided and this application Novemher 9, 1935, Serial No. 49,014

7 Glaims.

- ruary 11, 1936.

The main objects of this-invention are:

First, to provide an improved wood casket which, due to the construction thereof, is notsubject'to rupturing stresses caused by differential expansion and-contraction of the material thereof.

Second, to provide a casket whichhas a rich appearancedue to a crepe paper upholstery applied to the same as well as due to the provisions for the anchoring'of the upholstery thereon.

Third, tolprovide a casket structure which is simple and economical of manufacture due to the inexpensive nature of the material employedin its construction.

Objects relating to details and economies'of my invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined andpointed out in the claims.

A structure which is aipreferred embodiment of my invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a portion of a casket embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of the casket before the covering is applied thereto.

'l fig.i3.is.a.fragmentary transverse vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse horizontal section taken on a line corresponding to line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the bare casket.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken on a line corresponding to line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, I is a casket having side walls 2 and end walls 3 provided with upper and lower ornamental rounded moldings 4, 5. Rounded corner upright portions 6 carry out the design of the upper and lower moldings l, 5 and are joined to the side and end walls by corrugated connections I. A bottom member 8 is joined to the lower molding 5 by nails 9, the nails being cement covered nails.

On the outer surface of my casket structure, I paste sheets of heavily creped kraft paper or parchmentized paper ill, the ends thereof being disposed in longitudinal grooves H which I provide for that purpose. The preparation of the paper is illustrated and described in my copending application Serial No. 751,520 above referred to, and consists broadly in the provision .on the innersideof the paper of a coating of glue or cement, aswell asacoating of glue onthe outer surface of the .bare casket, followed by the application .of the paper-to the casket in the manner indicated in Figs..1, 3, and-6. corrugations [2 of the creped paper arepreferably arranged to extend vertically of the casket -l to give the latter theappearance of beingcovered with whole fabric .such. as silk. Asstated inthe aforementioned application, I preferably do not apply the paper to thecasket until an order 'for the casket has been received, thus decreasing the number of caskets which. a dealer must ,keepin stock.

A variety of types of coloring matter maybe applied to the coated paper to give it. its finished appearance. When the material is coated with silver lacquer, it has the .appearanceof drawn or pulled metallic white silk, a very beautiful surface ornamentation. If desired, a. final treatment with .a colorless lacquer may .be madeto increase the brilliance ofthe surface of the paper and'give it a high gloss.

An important feature of my invention resides in the arrangement of side panels 2, endpanels 3, upper and lower moldings 4, 5 and corner uprights 6 with the grain of the wood'thereof running in the same direction. It has been found that in the conventional construction, in which, for instance, the corner uprights are made from a spool having the grain thereof running-parallel to the axis-of the spool, the latter=being quartered to provide the corner member, there exists a differential movement between the side and end walls and the corner member. This causes the paper pasted to the side and end walls to break at the joints. I have eliminated this trouble by cutting the corner members 6 so that the grain thereof runs in the same direction as the grain of the side and end walls. Thus, the slight contraction and expansion of the members at the joint do not break the fabric upholstery. This is a very desirable and highly important feature of my invention, inasmuch as a break in the paper mars the entire surface appearance of the casket.

The cement or glue which I prefer to use is an organic water paste which I apply to both the outer surface of the body to be ornamented and the inner surface of the paper in order to soften the latter and facilitate its application especially to the curved portions of the surface to be ornamented. The water in the paste makes the parchment pliable, but does not otherwise affect it. By using the paste in this manner, I also fill up the inner flutes or corrugations of the paper and provide a substantial support for the latter. This preserves the shape of the crepe paper in use and prevents its being easily injured. At the corners of the box, I prefer to lap the paper to prevent the same from breaking loose especially in shipment. This lapping of the paper at the corners of the box also gives the covering a finished appearance.

As clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 6, the joint between the upper and lower moldings 4, and the central panel of side wall 2 is provided with outwardly opening longitudinal upholstery receiving grooves I I into which the edges of the paper covering are tucked. This arrangement permits a certain amount of transverse expansion and contraction of the parts of the side and end walls without breaking the paper. It also very effectively conceals the edges of the paper.

In Figs. 3 and 6, the mode of receiving the lower edge of the paper in downwardly opening groove ll between the molding 5 and the bottom member 8 is illustrated. This provides a very secure connection for the edge of the paper and conceals it, as pointed out above. I make provision in the bottom panel of the casket for the expansion of the panel, if it occurs, without damaging the side and end walls, by slotting the bottom panel as indicated at l3 and by slightly spacing the bottom panel from the bottom moldings 5. The spacing is indicated at M. Further, to counteract any tendency of the box to expand and contract, I treat both the inside and outside of the same with shellac to make the same substantially impervious to moisture.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in an embodiment which I have found very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure Will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a paper covered wood casket, the combination of side and end walls having externally rounded upper and lower edge moldings and central panels provided with longitudinal outwardly opening upholstery receiving grooves, upright corner joint members, and upholstery of crepe paper pasted on said panels, moldings, and joint members with the edges thereof in said grooves and the pleats of the paper extending vertically with respect to the side and end walls, the grain of the wood in said side and end walls and in the upright joint members at the corners thereof extending in the same direction to eliminate differential expansion and contraction therein.

2. In a paper covered wood casket, the combination of side and end walls having externally rounded upper and lower edge moldings and central panels provided with longitudinal outwardly opening upholstery receiving grooves, upright corner joint members, and upholstery of paper pasted on said panels, moldings and joint members with the edges thereof in said grooves, the grain of the wood in said side and end walls and in the upright joint members at the corners thereof extending in the same direction to eliminate differential expansion and contraction therein.

3. In a casket, the combination of side and end Walls having externally rounded upper and lower edge moldings and central panels having longitudinal outwardly opening upholstery receiving grooves, and treated crepe paper upholstery pasted on said panels and moldings with the edges thereof in said grooves, the pleats of the crepe paper extending vertically.

4. In a casket, the combination of side and end walls having externally rounded upper and lower edge moldings and central panels having longitudinal outwardly opening upholstery receiving grooves, and treated crepe paper upholstery pasted on said panels and moldings with the edges thereof in said grooves.

5. In a casket, the combination of side and end walls having externally rounded upper and lower edge moldings and central panels having longitudinal outwardly opening upholstery receiving grooves, and crepe paper upholstery pasted an said panels and moldings with the edges thereof in said grooves.

6. In a casket, the combination of side and end walls and central panels having longitudinal outwardly opening upholstery receiving grooves, and crepe paper upholstery pasted on said panels with the edges thereof in said grooves.

7. In a wood casket, side and end Walls having panels and upright corner members, the grain of wood in said walls, panels and members running in a single direction, whereby differential expansion and contraction are avoided, and crepe paper upholstery secured on said walls and panels.

BYRON E. WHITE. 

